California’s foster youth are struggling. Can $25 million for college change that?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

California’s foster youth are struggling. Can $25 million for college change that? Less than a year into community college, Elizabeth Clews felt like she had reached a breaking point. After five years in the foster care system, the 20-year-old felt like she was completely on her own, balancing a full course load, her 6-month-old son Ezra, and the retail job at Levi’s keeping them both afloat.Spending too much time at work meant she’d fail her classes. Spending too much time on classes meant she’d lose her job. By the time Clews decided to leave school, she and Ezra were living out of her car — and seven years passed before she felt ready to try again.This fall, the lives of those like Clews will get a little easier. A new state budget agreement will allocate $25 million a year toward the higher education of foster youth. Although it will not cover full freight — students attending four-year colleges will still have to pay up to $8,000 a year out of pocket — the grants can be used for both tuition and the essentials that are often costlier t...

In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder writes a book about the burger business

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder writes a book about the burger business A book tracing the history of In-N-Out Burger by its president and owner promises to tell the inside story of the business. It says so in the title.“The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger,” by Lynsi Snyder, is due to be released on Oct. 17, just days before the fast food chain’s 75th anniversary. It is available for preorder from its publisher, Thomas Nelson, as well as Amazon and other booksellers.The price of the 256-page book is $29.99 hardcover, according to the publisher, $20.99 for an audio version, and $14.99 for an eBook.Snyder is the grandaugher of founders Harry and Esther Snyder, who opened the first In-N-Out drive-thru in Baldwin Park on Oct. 22, 1948. The company’s headquarters are now in Irvine.The book’s description says it tells the official story about how three generations of her family built a thriving business and why its fans are wildly loyal.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Steadier Silicon Valley economy helps drum up tenant interest R...

At 36 years old, Brandon Crawford is ‘doing young guy things’ like SF Giants need him to

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

At 36 years old, Brandon Crawford is ‘doing young guy things’ like SF Giants need him to SAN FRANCISCO — More times than any other player, Brandon Crawford has rounded second base on a base hit at Oracle Park and set his sights on third.Until Wednesday night, however, Crawford had never done it as a 36-year-old. Battling age and the nagging injuries that accompany it, it had been more than a year since Crawford’s last triple. So it really was pretty outlandish when he texted Brandon Belt, the man closest to matching his experience on the local base paths, the night before.Fresh off an 11-day reset, Crawford launched a 420-feet homer Tuesday night. In Toronto, Belt went yard, too.“We both had homers on the same day, and Belt responded with, ‘Now we just need the Brandon cycle,'” Crawford said Wednesday after San Francisco’s 4-2 win. “I jokingly said, ‘Who’s getting the triple?’ It’s funny it happened the next day.”Crawford made the turn at second in the fifth inning Wednesday night and dove safely into thi...

Steadier Silicon Valley helps drum up tenants for new San Jose offices

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Steadier Silicon Valley helps drum up tenants for new San Jose offices SAN JOSE — A steadier Silicon Valley job market and economy have helped to attract tenants to a new but empty office building next to Santana Row in San Jose, a top real estate CEO says.The interest is significant enough that a tenant could soon lease space in the new San Jose office building, which is known as One Santana West, according to executives with Federal Realty Investment Trust, the principal owner and developer of Santana Row and the office building.The hopeful assessment was offered by Donald Wood, chief executive officer of Federal Realty Investment Trust, during a conference call this week with Wall Street analysts to discuss Federal Realty’s financial results for the April-through-June second quarter.“I’m pretty confident that we will have some leasing success in the relatively near future,” Wood told the analysts during the call.The tenant interest is arriving at a time when Silicon Valley has reached a “stabilization,” as W...

Opinion: The trial America needs against the architect of our national chaos

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Opinion: The trial America needs against the architect of our national chaos At last. The federal criminal justice system is going to legal war against one of the most dishonest, malicious and damaging conspiracies in the history of the United States. Tuesday’s indictment of Donald Trump, brought by special counsel Jack Smith’s office, is the culmination of a comprehensive effort to bring justice to those who attempted to overthrow the results of an American presidential election.In the months and years since the violent insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, the legal system has switched from defense to offense. With all deliberate speed, prosecutors first brought charges against Trump’s foot soldiers, the men and women who breached the Capitol. Next, prosecutors pursued the organizers of Trumpist right-wing militias, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who had engaged in a seditious conspiracy to keep Trump in the White House.And now, Smith is pursuing Trump himself — along with six yet unnamed co-conspirators — alleging criminal schemes that reached the highest level...

Wild bats emerging from roosts are testing positive for rabies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Wild bats emerging from roosts are testing positive for rabies Public health officials reported last week that seven wild bats tested positive for rabies in Los Angeles County so far this summer, and more are expected as bat season gets underway.Bats are the primary carrier of rabies, a neurological disease that is fatal to humans and pets without immediate post-exposure treatment. And Los Angeles County has led all counties in the state with the highest number of rabid bats for several decades, state records show.Summer and early fall months are the primary time for rabid bats to begin showing up in homes or public spaces, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. A bat with rabies will fly in the daytime, or hang lifeless on the side of a wall or lie on a sidewalk. Anyone who sees a bat in distress should not touch it or try to revive it, officials said.“Rabies is 100% fatal. It is really serious. It has one of the highest fatality rates of any disease out there,” emphasized Dr. Karen Ehnert, director of veterinary publ...

Opinion: Lake Cunningham: A local resource drowning in neglect

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Opinion: Lake Cunningham: A local resource drowning in neglect After years of underinvestment, the City of San Jose is finally taking action on Lake Cunningham, thanks in part to funding from state and regional partners.Neglect has taken its toll on Lake Cunningham Regional Park, once a vibrant park in the heart of our East San Jose community. Restoring Lake Cunningham is not just an exercise in nostalgia, it is a responsibility we owe to our environment, our community and future generations of San José residents. The effort to revive the lake is a shared responsibility that involves a partnership between government, nonprofits and the private sector.By committing to this endeavor, we can showcase our dedication to environmental conservation, biodiversity protection and the overall well-being of each other. The transformation of this 203-acre park will not only enrich our lives today but will serve as a legacy of our commitment to a sustainable future. By restoring the park’s natural habitats, we can provide a sanctuary for native wildlif...

Cal Bears open training camp: The questions to answer before opener at North Texas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Cal Bears open training camp: The questions to answer before opener at North Texas BERKELEY — Cal football begins its seventh season under coach Justin Wilcox with modest outside expectations but growing pressure to win.The Bears were projected to finish ninth in the Pac-12 Conference in the annual preseason media poll, and few people beyond Memorial Stadium envision much more than that.But after three straight losing seasons — and 13 consecutive years without a winning record in conference play — the Bears should feel some urgency to alter a stale script in the final season of the Pac-12 as we know it.“Every year, the expectations we have in our own building are extremely high and it’s no different this year,” Wilcox said Wednesday after the team’s first practice. “We know that the margins are extremely thin. So everything that we do . . . it all matters. Because it can come down to, as we’ve seen, a single play.”Cal lost five games by seven points or fewer last fall, but the bottom line was a 4-8 record that included a ninth-place finish (2-7) in the Pac-1...

Mountain lion spotted in Petaluma

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Mountain lion spotted in Petaluma (KRON) -- There were several sightings of a mountain lion early Thursday morning in the parking lots of Kohl's and Home 2 Suites Hotel on North McDowell Boulevard, according to the Petaluma Police Department. According to reports, many people saw the mountain lion within a close distance as it traveled between the hotel and nearby stores around 12:15 a.m. Evacuation order issued in San Pablo due to hazmat incident Animal control and PPD attempted to locate the mountain lion but were unsuccessful. A Nixle alert was sent out around the time of the sighting, police said. The department is advising the public to be aware of their surroundings as it is possible that the mountain lion may return to the area. If you do spot the mountain lion, you are asked to call 911.

Second suspect in Sunnyvale shooting arrested at SFO

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:04 GMT

Second suspect in Sunnyvale shooting arrested at SFO (KRON) -- A second person was arrested on Wednesday for a shooting that left a man injured, according to the Sunnyvale Police Department.The shooting occurred early Sunday morning in the 300 block of East Washington Avenue. One man suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Mountain lion spotted in Petaluma The first suspect, Gregory Law, was taken into custody following a short foot pursuit. During the foot pursuit, Law discarded a handgun which was later recovered, according to police.During the investigation, police identified Filmon Kifle as a second suspect. He was arrested on Wednesday at San Francisco International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Turkey, police said. Both suspects were arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail. The investigation is still ongoing.